Monday, January 13, 2020

Rosie's Toadstool Village

The past few days have brought warm rain, letting me have the opportunity to open the windows and air the house. Today the sun peeked out and it was the perfect opportunity to get some pictures of a project that has been dear to Rosie's heart for awhile. I feel bad that I didn't get it done sooner but better late than never!


This is the Toadstool Village pattern by Twig & Tale and I believe I purchased the pattern last March, when it was on a sale. Every so often Rosie would ask when we would make it and somehow we never did get it started. I decided that was going to change, though, so last week we finally printed the pattern, taped it together and Rose selected the fabrics of her choice for the top of the mushroom caps. Then it was sewing time!


The original pattern makes a lovely, soft stuffed toy, but Rose expressed disappointment when I told her that the finished toadstools cannot be opened to use as houses for her tiny dolls and animals. I thought I would try to figure out a way that they can be opened, so this is what I came up with. 



I cut out the pattern pieces as called for, and also cut out the walls pattern piece out of fusible foam and lining material. I cut an additional base out of lining material. I cut the outer base from thick wool. 


I fused the foam to the lining and sewed it into the body of the house with a narrow seam allowance which I then trimmed off quite close. The outer layer of the body, cut of linen-look cotton, I sewed as normal. I then sewed the foam-lining and the outer body together, right sides together, around the top edge, and the seam was trimmed, turned and pressed. I pinned all layers together and basted them around the bottom of the house body. I then sewed the house body to the wool base, right sides together. 



Once that was done, I took the base lining piece and turned up the seam allowance and pressed it to the wrong side. To cover the seam between the wool base and the house body, I pinned on the base lining and slip stitched it by hand, covering the seams. I left a small opening and filled the area between the wool and lining base with some dry beans, for weight, and then finished slip stitching the lining to the base. 



The fusible foam worked perfectly for creating semi-rigid walls that are still soft. The toadstools can (and have!) deal with plenty of crushing but they spring back into shape right away. The caps are made as the pattern directions call and just laid on top of the house for the roof - no stitching to the house! For the doorways, I cut shapes and finished them with blanket stitching. Now Rosie can easily put her toys inside!


I did all the embroidery after the sewing was done. This took a few days but the girls played with the toadstools intensely all during that time, so I worked on each one individually. Even Benjamin, 5, and Malachi, almost 11, like playing with these! I am so thrilled to see my kids enjoying these so much. 


Rosie and I made a playmat out of some silver and gold shimmery fabric, cut to the shape of a birch leaf. Two layers are simply sewn together and turned right sides out and topstitched. It makes the perfect little play area to set up the village. We made a pond-shaped playmat out of two silver circles cut from the fabric, and that is where the acorn-turtle and the walnut-turtle live together happily (their names are Arnold and Daisy). 


My fingers need a break now. . .my embroidery is not the best but it sure uses a lot of muscles. 😁 Carpal tunnel is real. . .

Much love to you all,

Sarah

2 comments:

  1. Those are adorable! I love what you did to the pattern!

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  2. These are so magical! For someone who claims to not be good at embroidery, you have done a beautiful job. It's especially charming that your sons like them too. Clever and creative!

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Thank you for your lovely thoughts!